For the teeming supporters of Lobi Stars Football Club, the delay by the state government to return the “Pride of Benue” to its traditional home ground, the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi, is not only a major setback but a pain in the neck for the once highly-rated side in the Nigerian top flight.

What began in 2024 as an ambitious N1.75 billion modernisation project under Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia has devolved into a frustrating labyrinth of attempted contract cancellations, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) petitions and finger-pointing over unexecuted work. In fact, after close to four years and over N1.3 billion funding, the sport facility is nothing more than a “hollow shell.” The stadium still lacks the most important component – the playing turf.

Permit me to briefly recall that the foundation for the stadium was laid during the Second Republic administration of Governor Aper Aku; and it was subsequently built, completed and upgraded across successive military and civilian administrations in Benue State.

However, a major facelift for the facility happened in 2009 when the Benue State Government under Governor Gabriel Suswam contracted Monimichelle Sports Facility Construction Company to upgrade the pitch from natural grass to a FIFA-standard synthetic turf. Another effort at maintaining the stadium was made in 2023 when Suswam’s successor, Governor Samuel Ortom, was about to complete his second term. The Ortom administration officially handed over the stadium to the same company to replace the completely dilapidated artificial turf.

Then, in July 2024, Ortom’s successor, Governor Alia, upgraded the initial pitch-resurfacing contract and re-awarded a massive N1.75 billion contract to Monimichelle Sports Facility Construction Company. According to reports, the state government disbursed N1.33 billion (about 80 per cent of the total contract sum) to fast-track the job.

Despite this substantial funding of the project—which the contractor stated he did not receive all at once—core structures, including the playing turf, tartan tracks, digital scoreboard and floodlights, remained completely uninstalled, months past the agreed timeline, sparking continued public outrage and allegations of fund misappropriation.

The Aper Aku Stadium renovation saga under the Alia administration has already witnessed serious confrontations between the Benue State House of Assembly, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Creativity and the contractor, Monimichelle. At one stage, the House of Assembly instituted legal proceedings to recover the N1.33 billion released by the government and also petitioned the EFCC to probe the contractor.

However, the contractor, Monimichelle, vigorously dismissed allegations of fraud, offering a completely different narrative. He claimed that top ministry officials and powerful Benue indigenes were deliberately trying to sabotage the project.

The back-and-forth continued until August 2026 when the House Committee on Youth and Sports conducted fresh working visits to the stadium and recommended that the Assembly formally withdraw its EFCC petition against Monimichelle. The legislature instead urged the Benue State Government to honour its ongoing payments to ensure that the high-profile FIFA-standard upgrade is not abandoned completely.

It is against this background that I have written this article to enlighten those who are wondering why the work on the stadium is at a standstill despite the prevailing peace midwifed by the governor himself. From my findings, I can state without any fear of contradiction that the real reason the Aper Aku Stadium upgrade is yet to be completed is the failure of the state government to pay the outstanding contract money owed to the contractor.

Monimichelle has maintained his stand that he will NEVER use his own money to complete anyone’s job. He said he had learned from bitter experiences in the past when he suffered to recover his money from such clients. According to him, he now delivers only after full payment is made. Therefore, Monimichelle is ready to install the remaining facilities once his account is credited with the remaining contract money.

Meanwhile, from the N1.33 billion received so far, the contractor has completely overhauled and modernised players’ dressing rooms, referee quarters and internal wet areas, and fully repainted and structurally cleaned up the main bowl structure and exterior walls. However, other essential facilities such as the standard synthetic playing pitch, water sprinkler system, world athletics-certified tartan tracks, digital electronic scoreboards, upgraded stadium floodlights, as well as general electrical retrofitting and public communication systems, are yet to be provided. Unless these important facilities are installed, the money spent so far will remain a waste because the stadium can’t get approval to host even national competitions.

Consequently, the ball is now in the court of His Excellency, The Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia. If possible, he should release the remaining money to the contractor to fix the pitch and the other essential facilities. At the same time, if the contractor has breached any contractual agreement, the governor should immediately order for his arrest and prosecution. As long as Monimichelle remains free despite ‘refusing’ to complete the stadium, the government—not the contractor—is to blame for the stalled project.

In any case, the governor must be commended for demanding a total overhaul and modernisation of the sports facility. As a visionary leader, he saw no sense in only replacing the playing surface as approved by his predecessor. He wants the stadium to become one of the best in the country because he knows the socio-economic gains of having such an edifice in the state.

However, with the way things have turned out, if he is not careful he would end up scoring an own goal. If he continues to dilly-dally, his political opponents may easily cite the stadium as one of his failed projects in the state.

Already, there is so much talk that he is littering the state with abandoned road projects. Personally, I disagree with such assertions. The governor means well for the infrastructural development of the state. Under his administration, the state capital has witnessed unprecedented modernisation through the provision of critical infrastructure.

Sadly, on Aper Aku Stadium, which he wants to upgrade to international standard, time is fast running out. In case His Excellency is not aware, in less than four years, neighbouring Nasarawa State has changed the playing turf of the Lafia Township Stadium twice already. Enugu State is on the verge of completing the replacement of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium turf, just as the same Monimichelle Construction Company we all know, has completed a brand-new, ultra-modern mini-stadium for Zamfara State.

I am not writing this to undermine the numerous accomplishments of my governor. I just want to draw his attention to the fact that it is taking too long to finish this legacy project. Without a doubt, if the govermor can break the deadlock to finally deliver a world-class stadium to the teeming youth of Benue State, he will transform a mounting liability into his most potent campaign tool.

As the race for a second term draws closer, completing the Aper Aku Stadium is no longer just about fixing a football pitch, it is about securing a legacy that can score the winning goal for his re-election come 2027.